For the Sake of Hope
by Megitsune
Summary: Certain events prompt Hitomi's return to Gaea after ten years have passed.
1. Kindred Spirits

#  Prologue: Kindred Spirits

  
Note: The Vision of Escaflowne and all of its characters do not belong to me and standard disclaimers apply. I am merely borrowing the characters for a little fun =D *Yes I know, nice and short* And now...on with the fanfic!  
  
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A brunette in her mid-twenties stepped onto the crowded track field, shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight as she examined the many high school students clad in running shorts and tank tops. The weather was not only hot, but also extremely muggy, and she continued to fan herself with her hands while she carefully searched the bustling field. Suddenly her eyes settled upon a young woman with bobbed sandy hair and bright green eyes standing beside the track holding a stopwatch.

the woman called, waving her hands excitedly to catch her friend's attention. A delighted grin slowly drifted across Hitomi's face before finally reaching her jade-colored eyes as the stopwatch fell from her hands to dangle around her neck.

exclaimed Hitomi in greeting to her best friend. What brings you out here?

Yukari put her hands on her hips and shot Hitomi a mock-angry glare. Why didn't you tell me you agreed to become the temporary track coach? I suppose I still wouldn't know if Amano hadn't told me about it!

Hitomi smiled sheepishly at her friend's indignation. It was pretty sudden. I didn't know myself until about five days ago. Kobayashi-san broke an ankle last week and they were having trouble finding a replacement on such short notice, so he suggested me for the job. I had already taken a three-week vacation from work, and I couldn't refuse the opportunity.

Yukari sighed before giving Hitomi an exasperated grin. Alright, since you have a good excuse, I'll have to let this one slide. Anyway, I left the office early this afternoon so I could catch your first competition. How are the girls doing today?

Hitomi shrugged her slim shoulders. They've been working very hard, but the competition is definitely going to be a tough one. Still, I think they'll pull through. We have a couple of new runners and they look promising.

The two women's attention turned back to the track where a young girl stood warming up and doing stretches. Though a good distance away, Yukari immediately noticed the shiny dark hair pulled into two neat braids and bright green eyes that marked the girl's features. As she surreptitiously watched the teenager bend over to stretch out her legs, Yukari's face lit up with a nostalgic smile.

Who's that, Hitomi?

That's Miyazaki Akemi. She's a first year high school student and one of the best runners on the team.

A thoughtful expression crossed Yukari's face as she continued to look the young girl over. She reminds me of you back then, Hitomi. Good determination and intense concentration, the marks of a real winner.

You should know, Yukari. You were our manager for three years. A faraway look suddenly descended upon Hitomi's green eyes without warning, the emerald depths glazing over as faded images made their way to the surface of her mind with disturbing clarity. A distant land filled with mystery, old friends, and most importantly, a fifteen-year old boy with dark hair, serious brown eyes, and the most beautiful wings she'd ever seen. Ten years had passed, but the memories still remained crystal clear. Clear, but nevertheless unreachable.

Yukari waved an energetic hand in her friend's face, trying to get her attention. Green eyes snapped to awareness as Hitomi focused a startled gaze on her friend.

Are you okay? questioned Yukari with concern. Though this wasn't the first time Yukari had witnessed her friend spacing out in the middle of a conversation, but nevertheless it still worried her. Hitomi flashed a bright smile and gave a reassuring nod.

Of course! I'm going to have a talk with the girls before the competition starts. Why don't you grab a seat on the bleachers and I'll join you when the first race begins?

Hitomi grinned, waving energetically before blowing a whistle and motioning the runners over. They gathered around in a tight circle and Yukari looked on as Hitomi gave her team final words of encouragement. With an emphatic nod Hitomi uttered one last good luck before making her way back to the bleachers and taking a seat in the front row next to her friend. The rest of the team gathered around the start line, giving Miyazaki Akemi a few encouraging grins and pats on the shoulder before moving further down the field to watch her run the first 100-meter race. Akemi bent to retie her shoelaces one last time before settling her feet against the blocks and kneeling down. With a silent prayer she closed her eyes for a few seconds and waited for the signal.

The sound of a pistol cracked in the air and the runners shot forward amidst the wild cheers of the crowd. Oblivious to the screams and shouts of her classmates, Akemi quickly took the lead, her eyes focusing on nothing but the finish line ahead of her. Without warning, the track field and the finish line began to fade together in a mosaic of colors as Akemi's vision blurred. After a moment of disorientation, Akemi found that she was no longer in the middle of a track field, but standing in the midst of an ancient city. White marble buildings stood in ruins around her and grass poked through the cracks of what once must have been a well-constructed road. The air was filled with an eerie silence, causing the young girl to shiver as she cautiously stepped forward. Suddenly a shadow fell over the abandoned city, and Akemi looked up just in time to see a creature flying across the sky above her.

A white dragon, she thought to herself. How beautiful

It was her last thought before blackness engulfed her.

  
  
  
  



	2. The Journey Begins

#  Chapter 1: The Journey Begins 

  
Note: The characters of Vision of Escaflowne do not belong to me ^_^ I am just borrowing them for a short period of time and as always, standard disclaimers apply. Please don't sue because I'm just a poor college student. Happy reading everyone! 

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The fog grew thicker, impairing Hitomi's senses. Reaching out with her hands, she grabbed vainly at something, anything that would lessen the feeling of emptiness that threatened to consume her. Floating aimlessly, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to focus, relying on the rusty prophetic instincts that she hadn't used in almost a decade. Without warning the fog parted, and Hitomi found herself staring in wonder at her surroundings. 

Tapestries of all colors hung on the dark, heavy stone walls of the room. The moon's brightness filtered in through the large windows, its light illuminating what appeared to be a private chamber of sorts. Hitomi blinked her eyes in confusion. Where was she? A soft scratching sound suddenly drew her attention to the far corner of the room where a figure sat behind a large oak table littered with documents and scrolls. The dark-haired man twirled a feather quill in his hands absently before continuing to scrawl more words on the parchment before him. The impatient gesture was oddly familiar, but Hitomi couldn't quite remember what exactly it was that triggered her memory. 

She frowned in confusion before a bright twinkle on the cluttered desk caught her eye. Edging closer to the strange man, she crept forward and found herself staring in fascination at the shiny object before understanding finally dawned. It was a pendant, identical to the one she had given Van so long ago 

At that moment, the man looked up wearily from his paperwork and Hitomi found herself staring into a familiar pair of reddish-brown eyes. 

"Van!" she cried out in surprise, but the man in front of her seemed not to hear. Shoving a strand of dark hair away from his face in a careless gesture, he merely sighed before resuming his work, much to the shock of the woman in front of him. And then the moment was lost, for the fog once again clouded Hitomi's mind, sending her back into oblivion. 

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Hitomi sat up in her chair with a jolt, trying to catch her breath as she took in great gulps of air. Was it just a dream? Or a vision? Disoriented, she quickly scanned her surroundings and belatedly realized that she had fallen asleep in the high school's medical room. Akemi lay quietly on the bed, the sheets rising and falling in a rhythm that coincided with her gentle breathing. With a quiet sigh, Hitomi moved to stand up when something suddenly slipped off her lap, catching her attention. Reaching forward instinctively, she grasped the small object in a shaky hand, its furry softness a welcome comfort after a disturbing dream. It was a feathera white feather which could only mean one thing. 

Gaea was calling to her once again. Years had passed since the last time she had successfully established a connection with Van or anyone else in Fanelia. It had been so easy at first, and communicating with Van had proved as simple as breathing. Their thoughts just seemed to find each other despite the distance between them, their minds forming a strange but wondrous bond. But time was more powerful than either expected, and as the years passed Hitomi felt the connection between her and Van gradually grow weaker. By the time she had graduated from university, the bond had been severed completely, and no matter how hard she tried, Hitomi was finally forced to accept the fact that she would never see or hear from Van again. That was, until her dream a few moments ago 

"Sensei?" The thin, weary voice drew Hitomi's attention and she turned towards the sound. Akemi was sitting up in bed, her bright green eyes blinking rapidly as she looked around in a daze. "Where am I?" 

Forcing a bright smile, Hitomi picked up the chair she had been dozing in and moved it closer to the side of the bed. "You fainted during the race this afternoon, so we thought it would be better to have the school's doctor take a look at you. She says that it was probably the heat, so you should be fine after some rest." 

Akemi merely nodded in answer, confusion written all over her expressive face. Slowly, a wry smile appeared, and she looked up at her coach sheepishly. "I've never fainted before, sensei." 

Hitomi grinned back, finding the girl's good humor to be infectious. "That's good to hear. The school office has tried calling your parents, but it seems that nobody's home." 

"Oh, that's no surprise. They left for Hong Kong a week ago because of business, and they probably won't be back until the end of the month." 

Hitomi raised a questioning eyebrow. "Then who are you staying with, Akemi?" 

The girl shrugged nonchalantly and leaned back against the pillows to get more comfortable. "My older brother," she replied, rolling her eyes. "He'll be graduating from college this year, but he's been really busy because of a thesis he needs to write. Can you imagine spending all your time in the library doing research?" 

Hitomi smiled, shaking her head. "Well, since your parents aren't home and your brother is probably busy, would you like a ride home? I don't think you should be doing too much walking in your condition." 

"That would be great! Thanks so much, sensei!" 

"It's not a problem. Now why don't you go gather your things fromthe locker room and I'll meet you out front as soon as you're done?" Hitomi stood up, and Akemi's eyes widened as she noticed the white object Hitomi held in her hands. 

"What's that, sensei?" asked Akemi curiously. 

"This?" asked Hitomi in shock, holding up the soft feather in the air for Akemi to take a closer look. "It's just a feather I happened to pick up." Hitomi's eyes grew sharp as she examined Akemi, who now held the feather in her palm. Except her, nobody else had ever been able to see the feathers that would sometimes appear out of nowhere, not even Amano-senpai or Yukari. 

Akemi looked up with an impish grin. "You know what? This reminds me of something I saw while running in the race this afternoon." 

A cold shiver ran down Hitomi's spine as the implication of Akemi's words began to sink in. "What did you see?" she asked softly, trying hard to conceal her worry. 

"You'll think I'm crazy." 

"No I won't," answered Hitomi, her calm façade completely at odds with the nervous pounding of her heart. 

Akemi handed the feather back to Hitomi with a sigh and crossed her arms across her chest as if to ward off a chill. "Well, for as long as I can remember, I've had dreams about a distant landit's full of green fields and old, ruined buildings. Sort of like the ancient Greek ruins, if you know what I mean." 

Akemi's words began to tumble out with increasing speed as she rushed on nervously. "I know it's not natural to keep having recurring dreams. My parents have always said it's my imagination working overtime, but somehow I don't quite believe that. And this afternoon while running, I had the same vision, but this time I saw a flying dragon in the sky. And that's the last thing I remember beforewaking up here." 

Hitomi's face grew thoughtful as she closed her eyes without saying a word. 

"Sensei, I've never mentioned my dreams to anyone outside my family. You don't think I'm going crazy do you?" Akemi looked up at Hitomi worriedly as the woman continued gazed at her in astonishment. 

"No, I don't think you're losing your mind," she murmured softly. Akemi looked on with fascination as Hitomi reached for her own athletic bag and began rummaging through it. A moment later, sheheld a pack of cards in her hand. Though it had been years since the tarot deck had seen any use, Hitomi had never been able to break her habit of carrying them around everywhere. 

"What are those?" asked Akemi in a hushed voice, her green eyes wide with curiosity as she leaned in for a closer look. 

"Tarot cards," replied Hitomi as she began to shuffle. "They tell your future, Akemi." The young girl watched with interest as Hitomi randomly pulled a single card from the deck. With a deep breath, she turned it over and looked down at the bright picture splashed on the card's surface. 

"Il fusco, the dragon," she murmured under her breath. "The beginning of another journey." 

"What?" asked Akemi in confusion, but her words trailed off asboth of them were suddenly surrounded by an intense blue light. 

"Sensei!" shrieked Akemi in fear as she looked around wildly, wondering what was happening. She felt a hand grip hers, but the light was so bright that Akemi was forced to squeeze her own eyes shut. 

"It's okay, Akemi!" called out Hitomi as she tightened her hold on the girl's hand. Seconds later, the light was gone, leaving behind an empty room and no sign of either Akemi or Hitomi. A deafening stillness remained, the silence broken only by the rhythmic ticking of the clock hanging on the wall. 

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Notes - 

1. I wasn't sure what the word for track coach is in Japanese, so I just decided to have Akemi call Hitomi "sensei" which is a title for teacher. 

2. senpai - used to refer to an upper classman 

3. Umm...Even though I read tarot cards myself, I'm not quite familiar with Hitomi's particular deck of cards, so I didn't bother having her do a reading of a full spread. Hope that wasn't too confusing! 

As always, comments, criticism, and even flames will be welcome with open arms. If it sucks, don't be afraid to tell me! I'm a big girl, I can take it ^_^ Till next time, take care everyone. 

  
  
  



	3. Returning to You

#  Chapter 2: Returning to You 

  
Note: The characters of Vision of Escaflowne do not belong to me ^_^ I am just borrowing them for a short period of time and as always, standard disclaimers apply. Please don't sue because I'm just a poor college student. Happy reading everyone! 

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The weather was beautiful. The summer sun shone brightly down upon the crowds milling about the local Fanelian marketplace, their cheerful voices carried along the by the mild breeze as the people continued to mingle and go about their daily business. Not a single cloud marred the heavens, and the flawless sky created an endless canopy of azure that stretched beyond the horizon. From the parapet of his castle, Van Slanzar de Fanel gazed pensively at the striking picture his kingdom presented. Dismissing the gentle wind that continued to ruffle his dark hair, the young monarch leaned forward and folded his arms on top of the balcony's railing, allowing the air's warmth to wash over him in a rare moment of peace. 

Ten years had passed since the fateful war against Zaibach, and it had taken nearly just as long to rebuild the entire country of Fanelia. The planning and laboring was endless, with one problem popping up right after another, almost driving Van and his newly appointed advisors to the brink of insanity. But the Fanelian people were resilient, managing to persevere even through the most difficult times - and now the moment had come when they could sit back and enjoy the results of their hard work. What had been burned to the ground only a decade earlier was now completely rebuilt, and somehow Fanelia had managed to rise from the ashes of war to become one of the most prosperous and peaceful countries in Gaea. The king couldn't have been more proud. 

But despite the joy, Van also couldn't shrug off the nagging suspicion that something was missing. He knew the idea seemed ludicrous. Wealth, power, success...as the King of Fanelia, he had them all. What else could he possibly ask for? Without warning, his mind veered straight to an in image of a young girl with sandy brown hair and crystal-clear emerald eyes, who could run like the wind. Even after ten years, he could still picture exactly what she looked like, and hear the exact tone and pitch of her voice in his mind. Uncomfortable with the direction his thoughts were taking, Van closed his eyes, releasing a sigh at the exact same time a familiar voice broke the silence. 

"Van-sama?" 

Giving silent thanks for the interruption, Van turned to find a young cat-woman looking at him worriedly, her head cocked to the side as she regarded him with wide eyes. 

"What is it, Merle?" 

"Crispin sent me to tell you that the advisors are all assembled and waiting for you in the Great Hall." A mischeivous smile appeared on Merle's face. "It seems you've got tons of work ahead of you." 

"Tell them I'll be there in a moment," Van replied, not moving from his position next to the balcony's railing. Merle nodded and headed towards the door, but suddenly stopped after a few steps, turning back to examine her childhood friend with a thoughtful gaze. 

"You're thinking of her, aren't you?"she asked, her voice filled with silent understanding. 

Van said nothing, his silence revealing a great deal more than any words could have. 

"You know," continued Merle calmly, "it's okay to admit that you miss her. Nobody would think any less of you, Van-sama." 

"Thank you, Merle," came the whispered reply. Shrugging off his somber memories, Van gave her a wry grin, shoving a lock of dark hair back from his face in a careless gesture. "I suppose I'd better meet the advisors before they decide to send someone else after me. Come on, let's go." With that said, he turned on his heel and headed for the door, giving Merle only a brief second to process the abrupt change of topic as she followed him out of the room. 

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Akemi blinked as she stared at her surroundings in shock. Resisting the urge to pinch herself in order to find out whether it was all a dream, she settled for rubbing her eyes instead. Everything around her was green, the tall trees providing some shade from the fading evening sunlight. Squinting, Akemi looked up at the sky and her mouth dropped open in shock. The sky not only featured a sun, but two moons as well, one of which looked extremely familiar. 

"Oh my god," she murmered to herself numbly. "I'm hallucinating. That must be it." 

"You're not hallucinating, Akemi." Whirling around, Akemi found Hitomi calmly standing next to her, her eyes scanning the area around them as if looking for something - or someone. 

"Sensei! Where are we?" The young girl bit her lip in a valiant effort, trying to hang on to the last shreds of her composure as hysteria threatened. She felt an incredible urge to scream in fear and stomp her feet in frustration, both of which she knew would do her no good at the moment. Akemi's wide eyes searched Hitomi's green ones, begging for an explanation. 

Laying a hand on Akemi's shoulder, Hitomi gave her a reassuring squeeze. "We're on the planet Gaea. And if I remember correctly, we should be in the forests surrounding the kingdom of Fanelia." 

"Gaea? Fanelia?" Akemi stared at her coach, dumbfounded. "Wait a minute, you've been here before, sensei?" 

Hitomi smiled weakly. "It's a very long story. I was about your age then, but it's been ten years since I've seen this place." Closing her eyes, she silently willed her instincts to point her towards to Fanelia - and though she refused to acknowledge it, towards Fanelia's king as well. "I think we should go that way." 

Akemi's eyes followed the direction of Hitomi's finger, trying concentrate on what was happening while keeping her confusion at bay. "How do you know, sensei?" 

"Call it a wild guess," Hitomi replied with a small grin that lit up her emerald eyes. "Besides, it's dangerous to sit around these woods without any way to protect ourselves. Who knows what we might find?" 

"Halt!" As if on cue, the shout was heard mere seconds before both Hitomi and Akemi found themselves surrounded by a large number of soldiers, each with a hand poised on the hilt of his sword. Armor gleamed threateningly from underneath the navy blue tunics of each man, and Hitomi instinctively pushed Akemi behind her. A flame-haired individual sporting a mustache stepped forward, drawing his sword in an ominous gesture. His dark eyes examined to the two strange-looking females with suspicion. 

"Identify yourselves. Who are you and what are you doing, sneaking around the woods like this?" 

Grabbing the arm of her student, who for the moment seemed to be at a loss for words, Hitomi stepped forward. "My name is Kanzaki Hitomi, and this is Miyazaki Akemi. We don't mean any harm; we were just on our way to Fanelia when we lost our way." 

The man's eyes narrowed as he contemplated Hitomi's answer. Next to him, another dark-haired soldier whispered, "General Valdone, they could be spies sent to infiltrate the city." 

"We're not spies!" Cried out Akemi in disgust as she pushed her way forward before Hitomi could stop her. "We're from Earth! And who would want to infiltrate your lousy city anyway?" 

The soldier next to General Valdone glared at Akemi in outrage. "That's blasphemous! How dare you insult our city?" 

Valdone grimly held his subordinate back, giving him a warning look. "Calm down, Ian." Turning back to Hitomi, he examined her carefully. "Did you say your name was Kanzaki Hitomi?" 

Hitomi nodded uncertainly. Though her senses told her that Valdone seemed a practical man who wouldn't harm either her or Akemi without reason, she refused to make an unwise move and remained silent. 

"Kanzaki Hitomi...the girl from the Mystic Moon who helped to win the war against Zaibach ten years ago?" 

Akemi's eyes grew round as she stared at Hitomi in shock. A war? The situation was becoming more surreal every minute. 

"They could be lying, General," declared Ian indignantly as Akemi shot him a dirty look. 

"Regardless, we have no way of finding out the truth," spoke Valdone as he slid his sword back into the scabbard at his side. "Our only choice is to take them back to the castle with us. We'll let Crispin-sama question them, and if he believes these two speak the truth, then he'll inform the King." 

"If you'd just let me see Van, I'm sure all these misunderstandings could be cleared up," spoke up Hitomi as she calmly looked the General in the eye. 

"There's still the chance that you may be spies, or even murderers sent to assasinate our King. We can't allow you near Van-sama until we're sure you pose no threat to him or Fanelia. Now come along. If you're speaking the truth, then no harm will come to you or your friend." With those final words, he motioned the other soldiers forward and both Hitomi and Akemi found themselves carefully surrounded as the large group made its way through the woods towards the city.  
  
  
  
  



	4. Frozen Memories

For the Sake of Hope ~ Chapter 1

Chapter 3: Frozen Memories

  
Note: It's been a while since I've had time to work on this fic. Even though not many people may remember this story anymore, here is chapter 3 of For the Sake of Hope. And if this part seems a bit weird, I apologize since it was written in the middle of a lecture I should have been paying more attention too. Hopefully it won't be too bad. Happy reading everyone. Oh, and as always, standard disclaimers apply. 

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"I will not allow the tax collectors to harass Fanelia's citizens." Van leaned back in his chair and glared at the group of men seated around the table. The main recipient of the king's regard, financial minister Falco Sayrun, took a nervous breath that echoed in the otherwise silent room. 

Refusing to back down in the face of his ruler's fierce scowl, Falco clasped his hands together to hide their trembling before continuing his argument. "Van-sama, the treasury may be full at the moment, but we won't have enough money for expenses if an emergency occurs. And given the instability of Gaea's politics, it would be better to play it safe than to be sorry later." 

"Listen, Falco, I understand your worries about our economy. But after the recent reconstruction projects we've completed, I don't think it would be smart to pressure everyone so soon." Van sighed, raking a hand through his dark hair in frustration. "The Fanelian merchants and peasants deserve a respite, and I refuse to push them beyond their limits when we have enough to tide us over for the next couple of years." 

"Why don't we crack down on the damn aristocrats?" suggested a cheery voice from across the conference table. "Goodness knows those leeches could use some bleeding dry." 

Van smiled ruefully as all eyes turned towards a tall man sporting a head of deep chestnut hair and a glint of amusement in his sapphire eyes. With an irreverant grin, Lord Crispin de Montaigne returned the shocked stares directed at him from the members of Fanelia's council of advisors. Seemingly undaunted by having become the center of attention, the country's most talented diplomat looked towards his king expectantly. 

"You have to admit that he has a point," murmured Van thoughtfully. "The aristocrats definitely have money to burn. The question is, how do we tax them without losing their political support? I really don't want a rebellion on my hands right now, especially after hearing last month that Prince Chid barely managed to calm down a group of Freid's angry noblemen." 

"We'd have to erect whole monuments in their honor to even have a chance of getting into their pockets," snorted Falco disdainfully. 

To everyone's surprise, a rare grin suddenly appeared on the king's face. "Why Falco, you may be on to something there. We could probably get tons of money for Fanelia's public works projects if we stroked the aristocracy's egos a bit." 

The financial minister glanced at his king warily. Even after years of loyal service to the Fanelian government, his ruler's eccentricities still managed to unnerve him on occasion. "I don't quite follow, Van-sama." 

"Why it's simple," Crispin spoke up. "The aristocrats are a greedy lot, but they'll grab any chance to outdo one another. Suppose we start a rumor that one of the noble families, say the Nyssans, have donated money for completing Fanelia's final reconstruction plans. And then we let it be known that the king happened to be incredibly grateful..." Crispin's deep voice trailed off suggestively, allowing the other men to draw their own conclusions. 

A mercenary sparkle appeared in Falco's hawk-like eyes as he immediately caught on. "The other familes would be falling all over themselves to do the same in hopes of gaining royal favor. My, what a wicked mind you have, Crispin." 

"You know I'm immune to flattery, Falco," replied the young diplomat cheerfully. 

As the men leaned forward to share their ideas, the noise level in the room began to rise steadily. The king was soon distracted by all the excited chatter of the advisors, who were all too happy to pounce on a scheme that promised to put the stubborn nobles in their place. Nobody but Crispin looked up when the heavy wooden doors of the hall slid open to reveal a grim-faced soldier. Not even Van took notice when Crispin followed the soldier out of the room, leaving the king and his men to discuss their plans without him. 

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Though Hitmoi suspected that she had been sitting in the large room for less than an hour, she could have sworn that a lifetime had passed since she and Akemi had reached Fanelia's palace. After escorting them to one of the castle's larger chambers, General Valdone and his soldiers had disappeared, leaving Hitomi and Akemi alone with two guards who stood watch just outside the doors. Exhausted by all that had happened, Akemi had collapsed on top of a comfy bed located in the corner of the room and was soon fast asleep. Hitomi marveled at the girl's ability to rest so peacefully after having been transported to an entirely different world. 

Without anything else to occupy her attention, Hitomi stared in awe at her luxurious surroundings. The surface of the wooden chairs and tables were decorated with intricate carvings that served to increase the furniture's natural elegance. Tapestries hung on the stone walls, their bright colors immediately capturing Hitomi's attention. Much to her bewilderment, she belatedly realized that the scenes depicted by the colorful threads were from the war against Zaibach ten years before. From what she had observed, it was hard to believe that this city had been completely burned to the ground a decade earlier. Apparently Van had done a wonderful job, and Hitomi couldn't have been more proud. 

She swallowed nervously as her mind filled with an image of a grim- faced fifteen year old boy with raven hair and deep brown eyes. It had been years since the mental connection between them had been severed, and even longer since she'd seen his face. Had Van changed much? Did he miss her? Why hadn't he tried to contact her? And most importantly, did he still care about her? 

The flow of her thoughts was suddenly interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps and a low murmur of voices from outside. Startled by the noise, Akemi sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes in irritation. But before she could even open her mouth to say a word, the doors were flung wide open and three people strode into the room. Akemi easily recognized the first as General Valdone, who was followed by a tall, elegantly dressed man with chestnut brown hair and a cheerful smile on his face. 

But it was the third individual who captured the young girl's full attention. Akemi's mouth fell open as she stood up and found herself staring into a face that was more feline than human. Short strawberry blonde hair curled around the person's pointy ears and leather shoes poked out from underneath her simple yellow dress. However, the cat-woman remained oblivious to Akemi's examination since her own eyes were riveted on the sandy-haired woman standing next to the bed. Akemi barely had time to dodge before the creature rushed towards her track coach with an ear-splitting squeal. 

"HITOMI!" Merle flung her arms around her old friend enthusiastically, almost knocking both of them to the ground with her exuberance. 

Hitomi smiled in surprise as she realized that the person hugging her was the same cat-girl who had loved to tease her ten years earlier. "Merle, I can't believe it's you! You've gotten so much taller, I didn't even recognize you at first." 

Merle let go of Hitomi and leveled an angry look at Valdone. "I can't believe you didn't bring her to Van-sama immediately. What were you thinking, keeping her locked up in here for the past few hours? The king's waited more than ten years to see her again!" 

"Why?" asked Akemi curiously. "Do you know their king, Sensei?" 

Ignoring the blush that appeared on Hitomi's cheeks, Crispin spoke up and gave her a deep bow. "I apologize for the inconvenience, Lady Hitomi. Please excuse General Valdone, he was only doing his job." 

"Does it a little too well sometimes," muttered Merle under her breath as Valdone bowed in apology. "The man practically wants to keep Van-sama locked up in the castle for his protection!" 

Crispin laughed. "Now, Merle, Van is King here. You can't expect us to just let him prance around freely without any guards, even if he's one of the best swordsmen around." Turning back to Hitomi and Akemi, Crispin flashed a charming smile. "My name is Crispin de Montaigne, and I'm pleased to finally meet the famous seeress from the Mystic Moon. If you'd follow us, please?" 

"Where are we going?" asked Akemi as she followed the others out the door and into the winding halls of the castle. 

"Where else? You're going to meet our king," replied Merle with a grin as she took up the lead and bounded down the corrider at incredible speed. With their constant track training, Hitomi and Akemi both kept up easily, and soon all five of them stood before a pair of large wooden doors at the end of a hallway lit by numerous torches hanging on the walls. 

Hitomi swallowed nervously as the door suddenly opened and a group of loud men filed out of the room. In their midst was a tall man in a simple blue shirt and brown pants, who was busy speaking to someone next to him. Hitomi found herself staring at a face that seemed so different, yet strangely familiar at the same time. The long bangs still fell over his dark brown eyes, but the boy she remembered had grown much taller and a bit more muscular. As if sensing her scrutiny, the man looked up and froze as brown eyes locked with those of emerald green. 

Nobody moved. Hitomi released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, but her feet were planted on firmly in place. Not taking her eyes off his, she offered a tentative smile and held out a hand. In a heartbeat, the man rushed forward and seconds later Hitomi found herself wrapped in a pair of strong arms, her cheek pressed against the reassuring beat of Van's heart. All doubt gone, Hitomi slid her own arms around his lean waist and squeezed, refusing to let go despite their audience. 

Akemi found herself gawking rudely, unable to tear her eyes away from the couple locked in a rather demonstrative embrace. The two didn't speak a word -- they didn't have to, for their actions said it all. The man showed no signs of releasing Hitomi any time soon, and Hitomi herself seemed content to stay in his arms for the rest of the day. Blushing a deep red, Akemi glanced at the cat-woman beside her, but Merle merely grinned smugly as she watched the reunion through tear- filled eyes. 

"Well, young girl from the Mystic Moon," said Crispin as he stepped forward to stand beside Akemi, his low voice laced with humor. "Meet Van de Fanel, king of Fanelia." 

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I apologize for the way this chapter turned out. It was written in a bit of a rush, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Any comments and constructive criticism are always welcome, and I hope the reunion scene didn't disappoint you all too much. Until next time, take care!  
  
  



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